Loretta Lynch Blasts Bias in Criminal Justice

By AMBER ALEXANDER

U.S. Attorney general Loretta Lynch on Thursday condemned systemic bias in the American criminal justice system and debated possible solutions to mass incarceration of minorities across the country.

“I think it is fair to say, [the criminal justice system] is in a state of crisis,” said Lynch in a keynote address to the 19th Annual Public Policy Forum at Columbia University sponsored by former mayor David Dinkins. “While the population of the United States has grown about a third since the 1980s, the federal prison population-just federal alone-had expanded almost 800 percent over the same period. Thousands and thousands of people taken away from families, from communities, from the chance to contribute to the economy, to their lives and to this great nation.”

She also said that the U.S. was spending over $260 billion on correction, incarceration and law enforcement every year, forcing police and prosecutors to devote their time to low-level non-violent drug offenses. Lynch insisted that these practices “filled our prisons,” “drained our assets” and “imposed human costs that would be difficult measure” particularly in communities of color.

Before Lynch took the stage, Dinkins praised her for her work spanning over 17 years tackling issues such as government corruption, money laundering by financial institutions and police brutality.

“Her style is to avoid the media limelight even while prosecuting the most challenging and high profile cases,” he said. “At the same time, she makes sure that the disadvantaged and vulnerable receive the focus and attention that they deserve.”

Dinkins, the first and only African-American Mayor of New York, was in office from 1990 to 1993 and is a professor in the Professional Practice of Public Policy at Columbia.

“We’ve put on 18 previous forums with a list of wonderful speakers over the years,” he said. “Last year was, of course, quite special since it was the second time that Hillary Clinton delivered the keynote address.”

Following the speeches panelists discussed what should be done to fix the national problem. Proposals included screenings to ensure the best staff members are hired by police and correctional departments, tracking shots fired by officers and re-establishing trust between police and the communities they serve.